The past weekend saw hundreds of gamers descend upon Warhammer World in Nottingham for the Middle-Earth Strategy Battle Game Throne of Skulls event, during which Games Workshop showed off some of the new minis that are on their way.

Oakenshield Faces The Defiler

The first miniature unveiled, and by far the most impressive, was the next in Character series range. Here we get one of the most epic confrontations from the Hobbit trilogy; Thorin Oakenshield fighting Azog the Defiler.

The set depicts the two's fight on the cracking ice of River Runnin, with Thorin wielding the elven blade Orcrist and Azog armed with his brutal, make-shift flail

Both miniatures are featured on bases showing the frozen surface of the lake, which can be popped out of the display to use them on the table.

Although I am very critical of the third Hobbit movie (aka, Super Legolas Saves The Day), I cannot deny that the fight between Azog and Thorin was pretty epic. This diorama captures their competing natures well. I particularly like Azog's sculpt and can't wait to see it at the head of an army of Gundabad Orcs.

So Passes Denethor, Son Of Ecthelion

Two miniatures new figures are also joining to lead the ranks of Minas Tirith. The first is the loyal captain of Gondor, Irolas.

Irolas is a Captain of Gondor who, upon the arrival of the wounded Faramir and the Fall of Osgiliath, declares that it is "As Lord Denethor predicted!"

His role in the story is pretty much limited to this doomsaying, but he nonetheless makes for a fairly striking figure and a good alternative Captain to field should you wish to theme an army around Denethor's stewardship.

Speaking of Denethor...

This new version of Denethor sees him at the height of his madness, preparing to cremate himself along with his son Faramir, whom he presumes to be dead.

I think this is a great update on the original sculpt, showing him in a more intimidating light.

This new sculpt is a figure I could see leading an army. Or run screaming off the side of a cliff while on fire.

It is really encouraging seeing the attention the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game is getting at the moment. It does seem that anyone who got even a passing line in the films is getting turned into a sculpt, but this does mean we get a range of new characters for "what-if" scenarios, as well as pretty cool updates on some old sculpts that are definitely starting to show their age.

Is there an obscure character from the lore that you think Games Workshop should make?